This invention relates generally to a seat belt release mechanism, primarily for use within the vehicle, and specifically within a vehicle that holds a substantial number of people, such as a school bus, in order to provide for an immediate quick release in the event an emergency situation is encountered, and requires prompt release and removal of the occupants.
There are a variety of seat belt mechanisms for use for holding various occupants securely within a vehicle. Usually, these mechanisms are designed to provide safety through the use of a belt for holding occupants within the vehicle, and give little or no thought to their quick release, in the event that an accident or other emergency condition is encountered.
For example, the patent to Boblitz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,381, shows an automatic safety belt device. It is for use in a mass transit type of vehicle, such as an aircraft, cars, buses, and the like. The safety belt device incorporates switch means, at the back end of the various belts, for detecting when the belt is too loosely fitting around its occupant, or if the belt has not properly been fastened. Thus, this device is more concerned, as previously explained, with assuring that the belt is fastened, whenever used, such as in a multiple passenger situation, or if the belt has been too loosely fastened, and needs to be properly adjusted to make it work effectively. Apparently, a lever arm is included within its housing, and can detect when the belt is too loose, and operates a switch for indicating that the belt needs tightening, in its attachment about the passenger. It appears, that this system relates more to the individual detection with respect to a seat belt being too loose, in its connection and attachment, and provides for an indication as to when that situation prevails, and needs correction.
The patent to Garboli, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,498, discloses an electromechanical device which is tripped by a trigger box for both automatic and manual quick release for motorcars safety belts. This particular device, as described, is to provide a quick release type of mechanism, that may be both automatic, or manual, for use in disconnecting safety belts. The device essentially operates either upon an electromechanical type device, for releasing seat belts, or utilizes a rack bar style of connecting device, for interlocking the seat belts in place. An electronic connection system, operating from batteries, is also disclosed for use for providing a quick release for the coupling buckle that hold the seat belts fastened about the passenger. The current invention is quite distinct from what is described in this patent, since this patent describes a particular style of latch mechanism, trigger box, operated by means of electrical impulse, that energizes the trigger box and provides for a disconnect of the release means, when accuated.
The patent to Ambrosi, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,660, shows another automatic apparatus for releasing safety belts of motor vehicles or the like, in case of an emergency. It incorporates a series of sensors, that are able to recognize specific situations of danger, and intervene by releasing automatically the opening device of the safety belt. This is not the structure of the current invention, since the current invention does not release any safety belt at their source of connection, nor is there any type of sensor means employed with the current invention that provides for automatically releasing the belts, in the event of a predicament.
These are examples of prior art type of devices, available in the art, or at least published in patents, and upon which the current invention significantly improves, in providing for an automatic seat belt release mechanism, which may be employed in mass occupant vehicles, such as school buses, and the like, to provide for a quick release, allowing for prompt removal of any passengers, in the event of an accident.
This invention relates primarily to a seat belt release mechanism, designed to provide for a quick release of all of the occupants of a vehicle, for safety purposes, to accelerate evacuation in the event of an accident.
Essentially, this invention relates to a seat belt release mechanism that may be used, for example, upon a school bus, that attaches approximate each seat, as mounted within the bus, to allow for a quick release of its various occupants, such as students. In the event an accident occurs. Or, this device may be used upon any of a variety of vehicles, whether it be an airplane, public service bus, or even a standard automobile, that requires a quick release of its seat belts, in the event of an accident. For example, frequently, when an accident occurs, the occupants are locked into their seats by seat belts, and if a fire commences, the occupants may be burned, even to the point of death. The purpose of this invention is to provide for a quick release, to allow them to remove themselves from the dangerous situation, or to allow the emergency personnel to achieve extraction, of the occupants, in the event of an accident.
In this invention, and as shown in this application, the bus seats include the usual seat portions, and backs, as noted. At the lower back juncture of the seat, and its back, there is included a sleeve, which sleeve is fixed in place. The sleeve has a slot provided herein, and each seat belt, at one end, includes a form of connecting device, such as a D-ring, which extends through the slot of the sleeve. Inside the sleeve is another tube. This inner sleeve also extends the full length of the tube, but further extends out of at least one of its ends. While the sleeve is fixed in place, the tube apparently can rotate, so that when the D-ring of the belt is fixed in place, the tube will have been pivoted downwardly, and its tab passes through the back portion of the D-ring, to lock the seat belt, at their back end, to this holding device, while the seat belts are being routinely used.
But, in the event of an accident, and while the seat belts may hold all these students in place, there is need to provide for an emergency and quick release, to allow the students to get out of the bus, in the event of an accident, which may generate a fire, as previously explained. At this time, the driver of the bus can either push an electronic button, such as to actuate a motor, which pulls a cable or rod, that pulls a pivot arm forwardly, associated with each of the foregoing tubes, and which allows the tubes to pivot counterclockwise, allowing its tabs to provide for an immediate release from the back ends of the D-rings, and to allow all of the seat belts to release simultaneously, and immediately, in addition to collectively. Or, the device may include a mechanical cranking device, that pulls the cable or rod forwardly, and pivots the tube, to release the seat belts, in the event that the electrical systems of the vehicle may have been destroyed, because of the accident. It may be upon further review of this invention that it may be the sleeve that does the pivoting, rather than the tube, but nevertheless, the two cooperate to provide for either a hold, or release, of the D-rings, at the back end of the seat belts, and which allows at least one end of the seat belts to be immediately released, and thereby uncoupling the seat belt from around its occupant.
It is, therefore, the principle object of this invention to provide for a seat belt release mechanism, that may be used in mass transit, to allow for an immediate release of the seat belts, in the event that an accident is encountered.
It is another object of this invention to provide for a quick release for seat belts that may be either electrically, or mechanically, actuated, to provide for disconnection of the seat belts.
Still another object of this invention is to provide for a point source operating mechanism which when actuated, such as electrically, or mechanically, immediately mechanically releases all of the seat belts holding their occupants in position within their seats as within the vehicle.
Still another object of this invention is to provide for a quick seat belt release mechanism that may be used within mass transit vehicles, such as buses, airplanes, boats, or even used in isolated situations, as within the standard vehicle, van, or sports utility vehicle.
Still another object of this invention is to provide for a release mechanism for seat belts which may be electrically or mechanically actuated.
Still another object of this invention is to provide for a mechanical crank mechanism that may be actuated by the driver or emergency personnel that will immediately release all the occupants of a vehicle from their constraining and restraining seat belts, in the event of an accident.
These and other objects may become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the subject matter of this invention, as set forth in the summary, and further upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, in view of the drawings.